Holiday Shopping: On a Budget by ridergirl333 |  |
THE SHOP WIZARD'S TENT- I have a bit of a confession to make. I hate Christmas
time. Now don't give me that queer look, I've got a reason. Christmas shopping.
It can be such a headache, finding the perfect gift for that special friend. Something
you're sure he or she will like, but is within your budget. Which is why, year
after year, I find myself scurrying through the shops (both real and Neopian)
for hours on end, trying to find something that will fit my $5 per week budget.
*cough* Ineedanallowanceraise *cough*
In all seriousness, finding the perfect gifts for Neofriends can be a pain,
especially if you're a newbie. Fear not my friends, because this article can
guide you through the trials and tribulations of holiday shopping! (Note: The
following estimates are based on a 10-Neofriend shopping list. The amount you
actually spend on gifts might be more or less, depending on how many people
you shop for. Also, the amount of Neopoints following the title is the amount
you have to spare for gifts, not your total Neopoints.)
DOGHOUSE POOR NEWBIE- 0 Neopoints
Hopefully, after almost a full month of Advent Calendar freebies, no one will
be at this level. But, in case you are, here's my suggestion to you. Give away
gifts that you got at the Advent Calendar. Some people might say that's rude;
giving away a gift that was given to you. But it's better than nothing. Try
to personalize the gifts. For example, if one of your Neofriends absolutely
ADORES Dr_Death, give her a Dr_Death plushie. She'll love it so much that she
might not notice it was free! And if that's not enough, send them Neogreetings.
These are cute, charming little cards you send via e-mail. Again, personalize
them. A friend who loves Feed Florg might get a kick out of
this card. And the friends who don't like watching petpets get eaten might
like something like
this. Anyway, go wild with the Neogreetings! They're adorable and free!
And they let your friends know that you're thinking about them. Who could want
more?
SOUP KITCHEN NEWBIE- 200 Neopoints
Finally, you've learned what "daily freebies" are! So why don't you get those
friends who helped you along the way a few gifts? Food is always a great present
to receive. It's practical (everyone's gotta eat!) and it's fun to shop for!
You don't have to buy your friends Orange Chocolate Korbats or anything! A simple
Almost-Gummy Rat (Strawberry) (20 NPs) is a wonderful way to show you care!
Not to mention the versatility of Neogreetings.
SLIGHTLY-RICHER NEWBIE- 700 Neopoints
So now you've discovered flash games! So why don't you flaunt those Neopoints
by buying toys for all of your friends! That's right- toys. Everyone loves toys!
They're useful, and the key to keeping your pet happy. And they won't strain
your budget. Key rings are worth about 50 Neopoints each, give or take. Plus,
they come in a variety of colors and species. You can personalize these gifts
too. If your friend loves blue Grundos, what says "Merry Christmas" more than
a Blue Grundo Keyring (45 NPs)? And don't forget the Neogreeting!
NOT A NEWBIE ANYMORE! - 1500 Neopoints
You've officially graduated from Newbie Academy on 44 I-Don't-Know-Who-Donna-Is
Avenue, Souptown Neopia Central. What are you going to do next? "I'M GOING TO
BUY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS!"
The ideal gift to give this Holiday Season? Inexpensive foods. I'm not talking
about the Gummy Rats you gave when you were a newbie. I'm talking about inexpensive
chocolates like the Milk Chocolate Lupe, (at 200 NPs) and basic foods like Pork
Steak (100 NPs). Also, inexpensive Battledome weapons like Coltzans Gem (70
NPs) and a Sticky Snowflake (150 NPs). Plushies are also great gifts, like the
adorable Squeaky Rubber Bruce Toy (95 NPs) and Yellow Korbat Plushie. (200 NPs)
Again, try to make the gift match the recipient. Someone named I_luv_mutants
probably won't appreciate the sweet charm of a Green Kacheek Plushie. (180 NPs)
At this stage of the game, there's so much you can do with your Neopoints.
Spend them wisely, and don't forget the Neogreetings!
FULL-FLEDGED NEOPIAN- 6000 Neopoints
So, you're finally getting the hang of this "Neopets" thing, huh? You're in
a guild, you post on the chat boards, you read The Neopian Times every week,
and you even have a high score or two on one of the Flash games! So why not
use your Neopian knowledge to buy gifts for your Neofriends. Books are wonderful.
You can't go wrong giving your Cheat-loving guild leader a copy of Forever Ferny
(800 NPs). (And then beg him for a spot on the Council. Hey, it's worth a try!)
If that doesn't work, try getting him more expensive foods like the Dung Cake
(400 NPs) and plushies like the Yellow Mynci Plushie (300 NPs). And, as always,
you can't go wrong with a Neogreeting!
GRIZZLED NEOPIAN VETERAN- 50,000 Neopoints
Quick trivia questions: Who's RoxyFoxyRoxy's arch-rival? What's the name of
the Moehog from Defenders of Neopia? What species is Dr_Death? Can I have some
of your Neopoints?
If your answers to those questions were: Sloth, Judge Hog, a Techo, and "back
off you n00b," then you're a Neopian Veteran. You know this virtual world like
the back of your hand, and you've got plenty of Neopoints too. Your friends
are very lucky people, because on your budget, you can afford to get faeries
(about 4000 NPs) and codestones (about 3700 NPs). And why not? They can use
faeries to give their abilities to their pets, (and who couldn't use a little
Faerie magic?) and they can use the codestones to train the pets at Mystery
Island. Also, a One Dubloon Coin (3600 NPs) can train a pet at the Krawk Island
Training Academy. Excellent, right?
But wait! There's more! You can also buy collectable stamps and cards for
your friends (if they're interested in that sort of thing). The Battle Faerie
Collectable Card is only 2000 Neopoints; and that's one of the rarer ones! In
the Stamp Album, people love the spiffy ninja look of a Ryshu Stamp (900 NPs),
and if not, then why not get them a cute and cuddly Christmas Kougra Stamp (4700
NPs) Geez, I'd love to be on your Neofriend list! (And, as always, give Neogreetings.
Doesn't matter how many Neopoints you have, you gotta love the cute animations.)
NEOPIAN MILLIONAIRE- Uncountable Neopoints
Maybe you won a million Neopoints at Coltzan's Shrine. Maybe you won the lottery.
Maybe you invested in a stock that shot up. And maybe you played Flash games
until your eyes were sore. But you've got Neopoints coming out of your ears,
and your pets are living the good life. Now why don't you share some of that
wealth with others? As always, faeries, codestones, and books are good gifts
to give. But now that you're rich, you can afford to give more expensive gifts
like the recently retired Speckled Paint Brush (89,000 NPs) and weapons like
the Rainbow Frost Cannon (99,700 NPs). And no one can resist the charm of Neogreetings!
And for those of you who are getting sick of hearing about the Neogreetings,
they're paying me to advertise, okay? Offer me Neopoints, and I'll do just about
anything! Anyway, I've got to go, so have a Merry Christmas and have fun shopping!
I hope that my article gave you some ideas.
Author's Note: All prices in this article are Shop Wizard estimates. They're
not exact, but they should be accurate.
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